The hypothesis of the paper is that there are two interactive relations in the compulsory education field and corresponding discursive space that essentially effect to the dynamics in parental school choice. First, there is historical juxtaposition between public and private institutions of education. Secondly, there is discursive conflict between equality and equity. The former is emphasising the similarity of students and everybody’s right to receive decent schooling. Thus here it is believed that it is possible to run schooling that is good for everybody. The latter emphasise on differences of students and everybody’s right to receive schooling that fits to his/her capacities, needs and individuality. Here it is not believed any more that one and the same school is decent good for everybody. These both juxtapositions are not necessarily exclusionary but mostly exist in different kind of balance. The Chilean and Finnish historical dynamics of schooling are analysed from this angle of view.